Spinning out of control
by annielovesauggie
Summary: Auggie and Annie continue to discuss secret and lies...and where to go from here. This is most likely a ONE SHOT. I'm keeping it in canon, but the pace of the episodes is moving so fast, that I don't think I can keep up!


A/N: A little addition to last night's episode.

Spinning. That's exactly how Auggie Anderson would describe his life right now. The lies were coming in so fast and furious that he couldn't keep up. No matter which way he turned, he couldn't find something solid to hold onto. Even Annie was in motion…no matter how hard he tried to keep her by his side; she was like a hummingbird; perpetually in motion.

He knew this moment was coming. It seemed no matter how he tried to prevent it, it was headed right for him like a locomotive. Lies. They were a funny thing. At times, they'd saved his life. And at others…well, they'd destroyed it. Auggie sat on the couch and replayed the last evening when he'd tried to lay bare his soul. He wondered if Annie sensed it wasn't everything. Auggie half laughed out loud. Was it still a lie if you started to believe it? He wondered.

Annie was still so new at this game. Her lies were small; inconsequential. But not for long. She was becoming more and more adept and skilled. Soon, she'd be placed in a position to lie to him. He knew it would come and he was fairly sure he'd be able to detect her lies. Would he let on or would he allow her to lie to him and carry on like everything was normal? He took a swig of the beer he'd pulled out of the fridge. It was warm. He frowned wondering exactly how long he'd been sitting on this couch.

He rose and stripped off his sweater as he walked toward the bedroom. He tossed it in the corner carelessly. Right now, he didn't care. He was about to collapse on his bed facedown when Annie's signature knock sounded at his door. He exhaled slowly as he made his way back down the stairs and toward the door.

"Hey."

She brushed past him and walked directly toward the fridge. He could hear the rattle of what sounded like his bottle of Patron. He heard the clicking of glasses as she set them on the island.

"You okay?"

He listened as she poured and then drank and then poured again.

"They're dead."

He closed his eyes. He'd already known about the Chens and had done as much damage control as possible, but he'd yet to speak directly to Annie about it.

"I know."

"I should've…."

He cut her off. "They'd be dead either way, Annie."

"I'm such a moron."

Auggie moved toward her and stopped her hands as she reached for the bottle again. "How are you a moron?"

"I used a CIA safehouse. There are moles in Langley, Auggie. I didn't think!"

He could hear her voice on the edge of hysteria. "No, we thought they'd be safe as long as you, Joan and I were the only ones that knew."

"Someone is watching us."

Auggie had thought of that. He'd scanned his apartment twice a day since the whisperings of moles begun, but he knew that technology was constantly evolving that could go undetected.

"I know." He moved behind her and pulled her toward him. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind. I don't trust anything right now." She said on a shaky breath.

"What about me?"

She felt his deep voice rumble against his neck. She wanted to answer that yes, of course she trusted him, but her gut knew better than her head that Auggie was still holding something back. She wondered if he'd ever tell her all his secrets.

"I trust you, Auggie." She whispered.

Auggie absorbed the lie and pretended it was the truth. For now, it would have to be enough.

"C'mon, let's go for a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yeah, you know….fresh air….beautiful night…." He smiled.

"Well, I suppose I'm not really in any condition to drive."

"That makes two of us. C'mon, I'll buy you dinner." He tugged her toward the door.

xXx

An hour later, Annie was relaxed and full after her favorite eggplant parmesan at the tiny Italian bistro a few blocks away from Auggie's apartment. He was refilling their glasses with a cheap red wine they'd purchased from the liquor store next door.

"What are we doing here?" She said softly; more to herself than to Auggie. Of course, he'd heard her words.

"What do you mean?"

"In the middle of an epic storm at work, we go out to dinner like we're a normal couple." She watched Auggie carefully replace the bottle and then lift his glass and sip. He was choosing his words, she knew. She'd seen that look on his face many times and had come to know it well.

"I think we need to be a normal couple."

"But…"

"Annie—for tonight at least…can we just have this?"

He looked so open and honest. For a moment, she could almost believe that it could be true.

"We can pretend. We can lie to each other and believe each other's lies. If that's okay with you, than I guess we can." She knew the alcohol was loosening her lips, but she couldn't seem to keep the façade up and the anger that had been bubbling beneath the surface was starting to emerge.

"Lots of people have jobs where they have to keep things secret." His head had dropped, as if he couldn't bear to meet her intense gaze. "Can't we just accept that?"

Annie sat back and exhaled. He wasn't being unreasonable and the fact of the matter was he was right. They could've been anyone…. Lots of professions required privacy and secrecy. Why was she so disturbed?

"Yeah, we can." She answered, still wrestling with her demons.

"There are things that we cannot share with each other. That's all it is, Annie. It's not a lie. It's a truth that needs protecting. Lives depend on it."

"You're right. I know you're right." She shook her head to try and clear the haze of inebriation. "I don't know why I feel like this."

"I feel the same way."

She looked up sharply and watched him slowly run his finger around the rim of his wine glass. "You do?"

He laughed. "Yeah. It's hard to watch you run headlong into danger…especially when I have usable intel that I can't share with you."

"I didn't think of that."

"It's hell. Sending you out there." He gestured with his glass. "It feels like I'm the one putting you in danger." He swallowed hard. "All I want to do is protect you."

Annie reached out and covered his hand with hers. "That's what I'm trying to do for you."

"Don't."

She frowned. "Why the hell not?"

"Believe me Annie, I appreciate your efforts…more than you know. This is different. The cards were dealt a long time ago. Now, the hand has to play out. Don't try and interfere."

"What does that mean? Why is this so cryptic?"

"It means that this might not end well."

Annie's brain rang with the memory of Henry's words, _"This won't end well for your friend Auggie."_

"Auggie, please read me in. I can help you."

"It's better for you if you don't."

Annie felt like she could scream with frustration. "I'm all in, Auggie."

Auggie crossed his arms on the table and turned his head toward the crowded restaurant. He closed his eyes and Annie realized he was listening to the activity surrounding them. She felt the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She scanned the room as inconspicuously as possible.

"Did she leave the check?"

Annie grabbed the small leather folder than contained their bill. "Yeah, I got it." She hurriedly threw several twenties in there and stood. Auggie was at her side, clutching her elbow.

They were several blocks away when he finally spoke. "I thought I heard something."

"What? I didn't see anything suspicious."

"It was static….like a walkie talkie that wasn't on the right channel. I don't know….it was sudden, like someone had done it accidentally and then switched it back to the right frequency…."

"Walkie talkies? That's pretty low tech."

"Yeah, I know….something was off. I know it."

"It's okay. I trust you."

She saw a small smile bloom on his face. "I trust you too, Walker."

xXx

Later that night, Auggie found himself wide awake at 3:00 am. Finally, he gave up on sleep and rose as quietly as possible in an attempt to not awaken Annie. He smiled that at least he didn't need the light on in order to move around his apartment.

He moved to the safe located in the bookcase and opened it. He retrieved a cell phone that he checked once a week. He turned it on and plugged in his earpiece. He keyed in a serious of numbers and waited. He was about to return the phone to the safe when he heard the tiny ping sound indicating a response.

"_Got your message. I'll be there in two days. Meet at the usual place."_

Auggie smiled at her no-nonsense response. He could practically hear her Russian accent, even though his text reader spoke in a monotone computerized voice.

"See you then. Thank you." He responded.

"_Don't thank me yet."_ She responded.

He smiled as he powered down the cell phone and returned it to the safe. If anyone could run surveillance undetected, it was Natasha. Of course, he couldn't exactly trust her with whatever intel she gathered, but he was running out of options and needed someone outside the agency to help him. He was replacing the picture frame that hid the safe when he smelled her.

"Damn it." He cursed.

"Yes, you're busted. What the hell are you doing?"

"Calling in a favor." He walked toward the kitchen.

"From?"

"An old friend that owes me one." He grabbed the orange juice and drank out of the carton. He was expecting anger or hurt. Instead, it was cold indifference, and that was almost more than he could handle.

"Okay." She answered in a monotone voice and walked back to bed.

He replaced the orange juice and walked back to bed. He climbed in and discovered that she was curled up on the far side…away from him.

"Annie…" he began.

"It's late, Auggie. Let's just sleep, okay."

Auggie lay flat on his back and contemplated all that he could or should say to her, yet no words came. He wanted to tell her of the bone crushing fear that engulfed him whenever he thought of her in danger. He wished he could wrap her up and take her away from here…and all this. Most of all, he wished he could be the one protecting her.

He was aware that a picture was being painted of his involvement in Teo Braga's operation, yet he couldn't see it. He'd never felt so blind. It felt like slow motion…like watching an accident and being totally powerless to stop it. He was (figuratively) watching a massive fissure form between he and Annie, yet every move he made seemed to make it worse.

Auggie fell into a fitful sleep and awoke hours later to find Annie gone. He showered and dressed quickly and met his usual driver at the curb.

Once inside the DPD, he walked to his office, listening for the tell-tale 'click-clack' of Annie's heels, but there was nothing. He sat at his desk and began to scroll though his email when his hands bumped a piece of paper that was sticking out from under his keyboard. He was about to turn around and chastise Barber for leaving his notes on his desk (again) when he recognized the bumps of Braille.

"_Sometimes low-tech is the best. You were right-about the static last night. Saw a familiar face this morning. I'm with her now. Talk later."_

Auggie smiled at her ingenuity. Probably the only messages no one would bother to decode would be braille, at least not yet. He checked his printer cache and read that Annie had logged on several hours earlier and printed off that message. He quickly deleted the log and tried to concentrate on work, while waiting to hear what she'd discovered.

Finally at lunch time, he received a text from Annie to meet at their usual place. He made his way outside and to the Berlin Wall Memorial.

"What'd you find out?"

"A woman from the restaurant. She was sitting in a car parked outside your apartment this morning."

Auggie shoved his hands roughly into his pockets to keep from punching something. "Did you tail her?"

"Yeah, I double backed. I had to boost a car to keep a low profile."

Auggie smiled. "You might need to trade in that red Golf."

"Never. Anyway, she drove about 15 miles outside of DC to a park. There, she met up with Henry."

"Damn it."

"Why is he watching us, Auggie?"

"Trying to stay one step ahead, I assume."

"What's our next move?"

"I think I have an idea…." He smiled.


End file.
